1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector designed to prevent a terminal fitting from shaking in a cavity.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector includes a housing with opposite front and rear ends and at least one cavity extending through the housing from the rear end to the front end. A resilient lock is formed on the lower surface of the housing and is cantilevered into the cavity. A terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity from behind and is locked by the lock. A small clearance is defined between the cavity and the terminal fitting. A large clearance may cause the terminal fitting to shake in the cavity even when connected with a terminal fitting of a mating connector. The connected terminal fittings may be abraded at their points of contact due a shaking action over a long term, especially in high vibration environments, such as in an automotive vehicle. Such abrasion can cause various troubles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,536 and FIG. 4 herein show a connector intended to prevent a terminal fitting from shaking in a cavity. As shown in FIG. 4, this connector has a housing 1 formed with a cavity 2. Elongated projections 3 project in on four inner walls of the cavity 2 along an inserting direction of a terminal fitting. Thus, there is no significant clearance between the cavity 2 and the terminal fitting at points where the respective elongated projections 3 are formed. As a result that the terminal fitting is prevented from shaking in lateral and vertical directions in a plane perpendicular to the inserting direction of the terminal fitting.
The elongated projections 3 prevent the terminal fitting from shaking in the cavity 2. However, a larger inserting force is required to insert the terminal fitting into the cavity due to the contact with the elongated projections 3. Further, the elongated projections 3 cannot prevent the terminal fitting from shaking in forward and backward directions. The contact points of the terminal fitting are subject to abrasion if the terminal fitting shakes in forward and backward directions due to vibration of the connector itself or due to a vibration exerted on the terminal fitting by the shake of a wire.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to provide a connector that can prevent a terminal fitting from shaking in a cavity while preventing a large inserting force to insert the terminal.
The invention is directed to a connector with a housing that has at least one cavity extending therethrough. A resiliently deformable lock is provided at a first surface of the cavity. At least one terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity of the housing and is locked by the lock so as not to come out. The terminal fitting includes a tube. A retainer is insertable into a deformation permitting space for the lock to prevent deformation of the lock. An area of the cavity for accommodating the tube has a cross section that substantially conforms to the tube so that the tube can be inserted with a low insertion force. A first guiding surface narrows the width of the cavity toward a second surface of the cavity substantially opposed to the first surface of the cavity and opposed to the lock. The first guiding surface is at least at one of the corners of the second surface of the cavity and extends forward and back parallel to the insertion direction of the terminal fitting. The tube of the terminal fitting is pressed against the first guiding surface by displacing the lock towards the terminal fitting when the retainer is mounted to prevent the terminal fitting from shaking laterally and/or vertically. Accordingly, the connector maintains a low insertion force for the terminal fitting and prevents the terminal fitting from shaking.
A guiding section preferably is provided on the lock for displacing the lock towards the terminal fitting during the insertion of the retainer.
The retainer preferably is mountable through the front of the housing.
The terminal fitting is not pressed against the first guiding surface until the retainer is mounted. Thus, an inserting force is low as the terminal fitting is inserted. The retainer is inserted to a specified position after the terminal fitting is inserted completely into the cavity. The retainer displaces the lock in towards the terminal fitting. Accordingly, the terminal fitting is displaced toward the upper surface of the cavity and is pressed against the first guiding surface. Thus, the terminal fitting cannot shake in the cavity.
A recess preferably is formed in the second surface of a front area of the cavity for receiving the tube of the cavity.
A second guiding surface preferably is provided at least at one of corner of the recess. The second guiding surface extends in a widthwise direction at the front and/or rear sides of the recess and narrows a dimension of the recess in forward and backward directions at locations toward the second surface of the recess.
The tube of the terminal fitting is pressed against the second guiding surface by displacing the lock towards the terminal fitting when the retainer is mounted. Thus, the terminal fitting cannot shake forward and backward, even if a vibration is exerted on the terminal fitting while the terminal fitting is connected with the mating terminal fitting. Thus, there is no possibility of abrading the terminal fittings at their points of contact.
The first and second guiding surfaces preferably are provided on facing corners. Thus, the terminal fitting is brought into contact with the first and second guiding surfaces at both facing corners when pressed in towards the terminal fitting by the retainer and is centered.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.